Nigeria’s fuel subsidy: it’s time to kill it and spend the money in ways that benefit the poor: Protestors in Lagos rally against plans to remove the fuel subsidy in 2012. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images Nigerians are being hit from all sides by a combination of factors that are making their lives increasingly …
Can Rishi Sunak save the Tories? Voting behaviour over time suggests it will take more than personal appeal to win the next election: One of the key findings of research into elections is that there is a close relationship between the popularity of party leaders and support for their parties in elections. The reason for …
The importance of solitude – why time on your own can sometimes be good for you: Spending time alone can induce fear in a lot of people, which is understandable. At the same time, the difference between moments of solitude and loneliness is often misunderstood. As a psychologist, I study solitude – the time we …
Kids and screen time — an expert offers advice for parents and teachers: There's no expert consensus on whether screen time is good, bad or somewhere in between. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock How much time did your child spend looking at a screen today? The answer likely depends on how old they are, what grade they’re …
Woman spends 500 days alone in a cave – how extreme isolation can alter your sense of time and why you might want to try it: Motionographer/Shutterstock A year and half alone in a cave might sound like a nightmare to a lot of people, but Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini emerged with a cheerful grin …
Animal consciousness: why it’s time to rethink our human-centred approach: Aleksey Mnogosmyslov/Shutterstock While we may enjoy the company of companion animals or a fleeting encounter with wildlife, many people believe humans have a superior consciousness of the world we live in. Every now and then, though, new study findings about the surprising intelligence of other …
Four reasons inflation will stay stubbornly high for some time: Climbing inflation. Sergey Tinyakov/Shutterstock Price inflation is starting to fall in many countries but it still remains way above the typical 2% target of most major economies. In the UK, inflation has been above target since August 2021 and in double digits since August 2022. …
Carmakers are mistaken if they think chip shortages are over – they need to reinvent themselves while there’s time: The chips are down. Ju Jae-Young Finally, carmakers got a break. Those in the UK boosted their output by over 13% in February as supply-chain pressures subsided, especially the persistent global shortage in microchips, also known …
Life: modern physics can’t explain it – but our new theory, which says time is fundamental, might: Ryan Boedi/Shutterstock Over the short span of just 300 years, since the invention of modern physics, we have gained a deeper understanding of how our universe works on both small and large scales. Yet, physics is still very …
It’s time to rethink what citizen science really is: Evaluating what citizen science is involves looking at the concept of science itself. Charles F. Kaye/Shutterstock Citizen science is a popular method of gathering data for natural and social scientists, with the number of projects and publications produced growing year by year. A typical citizen science …
Why mortgage rates will not return to recent lows any time soon: Mortgage rates are set to stay high for some time. Ink Drop/Shutterstock The Bank of England base rate has increased steeply from 0.25% in January 2022 to 4.25% in March 2023. More than 4 million UK households now have significantly higher mortgage costs …
Britain’s wild woods are under threat and we’re running out of time to save them: Passing By / shutterstock The UK has a strange relationship with its woodlands. Trees and woods form part of the national identity, yet with only about 13% tree cover, it is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Ancient …
Interactive cinema: how films could alter plotlines in real time by responding to viewers’ emotions: A sentinel droid features in the film Before We Disappear. AlbinoMosquito Productions Ltd, Author provided Most films offer exactly the same viewing experience. You sit down, the film starts, the plot unfolds and you are follow what’s happening on screen …
Muscle memory is key to helping you get in shape again after time away from exercise: There are two types of muscle memory – one of which can help us in the gym. antoniodiaz/ Shutterstock Whether it’s riding a bike, playing the piano or hitting a hole in one, there are just some things you …
Great Mysteries of Physics 1: is time an illusion?: shutterstock andrey_l/Shutterstock Without a sense of time, leading us from cradle to grave, our lives would make little sense. But on the most fundamental level, physicists aren’t sure whether the sort of time we experience exists at all. This is the topic of the first episode …
Prostate cancer test: is it time to ditch the digital rectal examination?: The finger-up-the-bottom examination for prostate cancer has been drawn into question. An international panel of experts recently suggested that so-called digital rectal examination for “active surveillance” should be replaced by MRI scans. This news may be celebrated as the overcoming of an intrusive …
Managing people for the first time: expert tips on how to succeed: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Getting a promotion that involves managing people for the first time is a milestone in anyone’s career. It is a sign that your employer values your performance and skills and trusts you to lead projects and colleagues. This transition can also …
Dance Me to the End of Time: South African film on death is a powerful celebration of life: Activist and theatre director Nancy Diuguid, left, with partner and film-maker Melanie Chait. Melanie Chait/Dance Me to the End of Time In her 2021 documentary Dance Me to the End of Time, South African film-maker and educator …